ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi Monday witnessed signing ofagreements between Power Division of Pakistan and State Grid Corporation ofChina, for construction of 878 kilometer 600 KV HVDC Bipole TransmissionLine from Matiari to Lahore.

Under the agreements, which are part of the Pakistan China EconomicCorridor, two Convertor Stations with AC Switching Stations at Matiari andLahore; two Electrode Stations at Matiari & Lahore each and three RepeaterStations along the route of the line will also be constructed.

During the briefing about the agreements, the prime minister was informedthat with the launching of “China Pakistan Economic Corridor” energyportfolio, planning for evacuation of power from the upcoming power plants,including Thar, Port Qasim, nuclear and at Hub, became a challenge for NTDC.

Accordingly, HVDC Transmission Line was planned under CPEC for whichCooperation Agreement was signed in 2015 between NTDC and State GridCorporation of China.

This flagship project is first of its kind in Pakistan and also the firstbeing executed under the Government of Pakistan Transmission Policy-2015 onBuild, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) basis for 25 years.

The project has a completion time of 27 months and Commercial OperationDate (COD) has been fixed at March 1, 2021.

Project Implementation Agreement (IA) was signed by MD PPIB and ShuYinbiao, Chairman of State Grid Corporation of China while TransmissionService Agreement, Land lease Agreement, O & M Agreement was signed by ShuYinbiao from the Chinese side and MD NTDC on behalf of the Power Division.- APP